Big John | Goose Island Beer Co.

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Notes / Commercial Description:
Brewmasters Notes:
Inspired by the epic skyline of Chicago, Goose Island's brewers set out to craft Big John; a tall, bold slugger of a stout that stands out vividly against the little soft beers out there. Epic amounts of roasted malt and an addition of cacoa nibs give Big John a massive chocolate flavor and aroma. With a body as substantial and black as the building to which it pays homage, Big John is sure to inspire a sense of awe with each sip.

User Ratings & Reviews

I hope they named this beer after Big John Studd, because he was Braun Strowman 1.0 back in the 80s. Anyways, pours a thick black pour, brown head on the top, 5/8" in depth. Roasty nose and a little bit of chocolate malt otherwise. Pretty straightforward, almost export stout kind of roastiness leading the way.

Taste, more of the same, heavy dose of roasted malt, light chocolate feels. Good amount of bitterness. Like, this probably clocks in at around 100ibu. Heavily roasted malt and lots of Cascade hops will do that. Mouthfeel is really good, it covers up a substantial amount of alcohol, one of the easier drinking big ass stouts that isn't barrel aged. Goose Island has always had their stout game dialed in, this is no exception. Its a ton of malt, heavily roasted.

Bomber from December 2012. Pours thick and black, with half a finger of head that takes a while to emerge and then fades to the rim of the snifter quickly. Still a strong cocoa aroma and syrupy, vanilla malts on the nose. More complex once you take a sip, with raw cacao nibs, raisin liqueur, pomegranate molasses, dark chocolate maltballs, and lesser notes of anise and red wine tannins. Hard to believe it's just bottle-conditioned but not barrel-aged. Really glad to have a chance to try this.

Appearance: Pours a dark brown almost black color with virtually no head besides a very small ring of tan bubbly suds that hang around for about ten seconds before fizzling away. If I pour hard straight down into the glass, a two finger, rapidly disappearing head forms, but still leaves no lacing.

Feel: The 11.5% abv has really mellowed out over the course of almost six years. I can't detect any abrasive, hot alcoholic notes. The palate is sweet soft and luscious, and the beer is in fact quite smooth and silky on the tongue. Mid-heavy body with almost no carbonation.

Overall: What a treat. Enjoyed this over the course of two hours. I think the time spent in the cellar really evened out the alcohol, allowing the roasted malt and dark fruit flavors to really come out and assert themselves. The cocoa nibs were not lost during the aging process, and what would have been a very bitter beer from the ridiculous amounts of roasted malt used in the brewing process has mellowed out to make way for deep and intricate flavors of a multitude of different sweet chocolate confections and candied fruits. It's a shame the brewery got bought up by Ab-inbev. I feel like I'm drinking a part of craft beer history here. RIP old school Goose Island, you will be dearly missed.

Not sure if this was bourbon barrel aged, but it sure tastes like it was. Super boozy, with a black licorice vibe backing it. The cocoa nibs finally reveal themselves as this warms. Unique & bold, but ultimately a bit too much for my palate.

Shared a 2013 bomber. This stout poured thick black, with a good head. the smell was of strong malt and subtle chocolate, some alcohol. Taste was robust, smooth, and again subtly chocolate with some alcohol taste at the finish. Very good beer - wish it was more readily available.